Twilight Mission Insane
by BrokenAngel5683
Summary: This is the Twilight stories that I've written for the Mission Insane prompts. 200 prompts. All characters, pairings, and ratings. Details in chapter titles. I own nothing related to Twilight.
1. Darkness Alice Rating M

Title: Darkness  
>Author: ondragonflywing<br>Rating: T  
>Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight.<br>Characters: Alice, James  
>Warnings: Dark<br>Summary: Alice remembers something before the blackness, and the man who had brought her to it.  
>TablePrompt: Un-Themed Eight-Father

Mary Alice tried to warn them. She'd told her father not to stop at the tavern on the way home. She'd begged and pleaded. She told him to just come home. She wanted him to come home. To actually come home. She didn't want him to die at the hands of the muscled blonde haired man she'd seen in her visions. She didn't want him to get hurt. But when she mentioned her visions, her father had scoffed, told her that he would definitely be stopping on his way home. He was going to prove to her once and for all that these visions were nonsense. That she was imaging things, not seeing the future.

Mary Alice was plagued by the visions all night, subtle details changing, but her father always dying at the hands of a man that she knew now to be named James. He had broken his back as if it were a twig once. Snapped his neck another time. Knife play had been a favorite at one time, licking the blood from the wounds. It had struck Mary Alice as a surprisingly private moment. In the end though, he decided to not waste much time on ceremony. A devastating blow to the head and then he dug his teeth into her father's neck. Mary Alice cried every time she saw her father's death. Begged her mother to go get him. Told her not to worry. She and her sisters would be safe. She knew it. Her mother had struck her. No one could know the future except for God. She wouldn't leave her children alone in the house.

When Mary Alice's father didn't come home, her mother went to the sheriff. Her sister's prayed for him to be okay. Mary Alice frowned at them, shook her head and cried. Then she prayed for his soul. Her mother struck her again. How dare she imply that her father was dead. He was just late. It was just a misunderstanding. He'd be home. And then Mary Alice would see just how silly and fruitless her visions were.

He never came home. They found his body, just where and how Mary Alice had screamed that they would, when she was tired of being ignored.

In reaction her mother had the priest perform an exorcism. She had to be impure. Tainted. The devil had to be working through her. God had forsaken her. She had to be saved from evil. Mary Alice went through ten exorcisms, listening to her mother cry through all of them. She was cursed with the mark of the devil. And he wouldn't take it back. Not for all the praying or preaching. Mary Alice said she believed in God and loved him. She had given her life to Jesus. But it was all to no avail. No matter what the devil continued to work in her. She cried. She didn't think she was cursed or evil. She was no devil. James was. He was a demon. He was a murderer. She had tried to stop it. She had been given the power and knowledge to do so. She began to say that her gift was from God. A way to help. Her mother threw her out, saying that she wouldn't help Mary Alice any longer, if Mary Alice didn't try to help herself. Her mother had cried the whole trip to the asylum. Her darling daughter had freely offered her soul to the devil. There was no saving her. Mary Alice's mother mourned her loss and then handed over her youngest daughter.

Most children dreamed of treasures, and beautiful magical lands. Mary Alice dreamed of the day that her most recurring vision would occur. That she'd come face to face with her demon. Her James. He was going to offer her an escape from the electric pain and the blackness she was surrounded by here. Most children got to play in the sun. Mary Alice got to have treatments and lay in her small locked room, surrounded by nothing but the dark for company. She had eventually made friends with the dark. They said she couldn't leave her room until she made progress, showed signs of being cured. Nothing made the visions go away. So she got comfortable and waited for her savior, her James to appear, and make his offer. She would join him, be like him. She would escape the darkness. That knowledge brought her both comfort and more treatments that ended in more darkness. She believed in herself, in her visions. She wouldn't let go of her rescue. But all it brought her was electric pain.

Years later, her eyes sprang open to find James kneeling next to her bed. He said she'd been what he was after all along. He admitted to the game and the chase. He admitted to waiting to make sure the visions were real. He admitted that he wanted her to be like him. He wanted to use her power. And she had agreed, trading the darkness for a new kind of darkness. She screamed in pain as his teeth sank into her arm, and the venom began to burn its way through her system. She was completely submerged in darkness. And in that moment she almost lost her mind. The burn so intense, the black crowding all her senses. She wasn't sure how long she was lost in this world, how long she had felt cheated by James's lie. His life was worse than hers. But she finally awoke.

She was met with a sense of peace when her eyes opened on her world. She was alone. But she knew that this world was better than the pitch black that she remembered. She could see everything, smell everything, feel everything. Her throat burned. She instinctually hunted and killed. She felt disgusted with herself, controlled by this otherworldly urge. She despaired. She was no longer in blackness. But she felt black, dark, almost hollow. And then she saw it, she would have a family. The Cullens. She would join them, and things would be different. She would no longer be unholy and forgotten.

She smelled him when he came to the baseball field. She didn't know why it seemed vaguely familiar, why his black eyes brought complete fear to her heart. Why it made her want to protect Bella more fiercely. Why his name made her shiver. She felt hatred for him. But she couldn't remember why. All she knew before this was darkness.

When they were in the dance studio. Alice felt like she had to be involved in the vampire's, James's, destruction. She felt betrayal and anger that she didn't understand. And when his lip sneered back and he laughed, something in her snapped. She lunged, jumped on him, took his head off. She felt satisfaction she didn't understand at destroying his life. As her brother and mate ripped his arms off, she was overcome with joy. A frenzy to dismantle and destroy him started and didn't stop until she found herself practically dancing around the fire where he was burning.

James may have saved her, but he'd destroyed her first. The darkness began to recede. She felt sadness over the loss of her father. Jasper held her, not understanding. Alice would've cried tears for Mary Alice if she'd had any left.


	2. Penelope Nessie Rating K Crack

Title: Penelope  
>Author: ondragonflywing<br>Verse: Twilight  
>Claim: General<br>Characters: Jacob, Nessie, The Cullens  
>Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.<br>Warnings: Mild Breaking Dawn Spoilers.  
>Summary: Renesmee convinces jacob to buy her something that will upset ehr parents.<p>

Renesmee looked up at Jake with her biggest pout and puppy dog eyes. "Please Jake," she pleaded, pressing what she thought should be her newest possession to her chest.

"No, Nessie," Jake shook his head, "I can't buy that for you. Your parents would be so upset with me, if I didn't talk to them first. The young girl rolled her eyes at her caretaker for the day and then she gestured for him to come down to her height.

"But it's the absolute coolest," she said as he kneeled. When he was her height, she reached out and touched his cheek, sending him images of her playing with it, loving every second. She made sure he felt everything she would feel, understood what joy it would bring to her.

"You don't play fair," Jake complained, since he couldn't deny her anything that would make her so content, as he stood up again and sighed, knowing he'd be in for it later. "Alright, let's get it." He led her to the register to pay; buying some other things in passing that would be a necessity for Nessie's purchase.

Renesmee had finally gathered her whole family and she couldn't keep the smile from her face at the exciting news she had to give them. And she couldn't help but notice the scared look on Jake's face. The young girl appeared to be about four years old, though she was much younger. "I wanted everyone to be here," she began, "to meet the newest member of our family."

At the confusion on her family's face, she gestured Jacob over. The young girl took a bundle of fur from Jake's arms. The kitten was only about ten weeks old, still very fluffy and very small.

"That's not a family member, that's not even a snack," Emmett spoke, but immediately piped down at the cross look he received from the child.

"This is Penelope," she informed him and the others, "She's my kitten. That Jake bought for me."

All eyes turned to Jake and he shrugged helplessly. It's not like he even had the power to say no. Rosalie growled slightly. "Stupid dog can't even handle a simple shopping trip," she said under her breath. He had begged and begged to take her, and he thanked them by providing her with a constant temptation for the rest of them. How would Nessie feel if one day she woke up to jasper making a meal out of little Penelope.

As Nessie took in the hungry look in her family's eyes she returned the kitten to the safety of Jacob's arms. "Protect her," she said to him sternly. And he pulled the kitten closer to his chest.

She walked over to her mother and father and touched their cheeks, showing them that she wanted Penelope. And that she was a friend, a companion, a playmate. Not food. When she pulled away Bella and Edward shared a look before Bella said, "Maybe Penelope should stay at Jacob's house."


	3. Monster JakeBella Rating M death

Title: Monster  
>Author: ondragonflywing<br>Rating: M  
>Verse: Twilight<br>Claim: General  
>Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight.<br>Character(s): Jacob, Bella  
>Warnings: Character Death<br>Summary: Jacob has a bad reaction to Bella's plans for the future.  
>PromptTable: Crimes-Passion

I held Bella close to me. This was really goodbye. I'd refused to go to her wedding. She had insisted I was her best man, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I couldn't make myself watch her get married to a leech and throw her life away. I closed my eyes, enjoying the last few moments that I would ever have her in my arms, that I would ever see her.

"I love you," I murmured into her ear. She snuggled closer, the finality of it all finally weighing on her.

"You know Jake, it doesn't have to be like this," she said,"We can still be friends."

I felt my body twitch, begin to shake. I knew she could feel the thrumming too. "And I could what Bells, watch you marry him, stand by while you go through the transformation, while he kills you and turns you into something else, something that isn't you."

She stiffened in my arms and I knew I was ruining the moment, but I couldn't help it. What else was I supposed to say? Oh sure, Bells, sounds great, I'll take that front row seat to your monster transformation. I knew what it was like to wake up one day and realize you were something unreal. A monster. She had no idea what it would be like. It would be no honeymoon.

"Jake," she pleaded,"The blood lust only lasts for a while. One day I'll be me myself again."

"But you won't Bella," I said, my voice harsh and becoming colder by the minute. "You won't ever be the same again." I glared coldly at her,"Once you change, you're as good as dead to me." I could see the tears in her eyes and despite everything they still tore my heart into pieces. I reached out for her, brushing my hand against her cheek, brushing her tears away, allowing my fingers to become tangled in her hair. I pulled her slightly unwilling body towards mine. "Why can't you see that? Why can't you see that you're letting him kill you?"

She looked down at the floor silently,"He's who I want to spend the rest of my life with…" she trailed off.

"Then fine, do that," I used my hand in her hair to tilt her head up to look at me,"But don't change what you are. Don't die for him. Stay. Live."

"I…I can't," she faultered. She couldn't see a life in which she was normal and Edward was a vampire forever.

I felt my body begin to shake again and tried to calm myself, the hand tangled in her hair tightening. I could feel the wolf arguing with me for dominance. I knew I was probably hurting her as I grabbed her arm, forcefully pulling her to me. I crashed my lips to hers. The monster in me wanted out. "Don't you love me, Bells?" I asked, barely controlling the tone of my voice.

"You know I do," she whimpered. Great, now she was afraid of me. That only served to frustrate and anger me further. Why couldn't I control myself.

"You can die for him, but you can't live for me?" I asked as my lips moved to her neck, my hand leaving her hair to rest on her shoulder around her neck. My thumb trailing gentle lines over her skin.

"Jake, he's who I want to spend forever with," I grimaced at her choice of words. Of course she wouldn't say her life with again. She would be more specific. It felt like she was ripping my heart out. She would literally die, lose herself to be with him. But she couldn't give living a shot to still at least be friends with me? I had to accept her as a monster or not at all?

The wolf was pushing forward and I grasped tightly to whatever I could, which happened to be Bella's neck and arm, to try and force the monster back. While I struggled with the beast, I didn't register anything in my surroundings. I didn't hear Bella's struggling breaths, I didn't hear her rasps. I didn't feel her trying to free herself from my steel grip. All I could concentrate on was not becoming a wolf here and now. "Then die for him," I growled out my permission for her plan.

It was then that I realized the weight of so much dead weight in my hands and I immediately snapped out of my daze to look down at Bella, dark bruises forming on her neck and wrist. Her lips turning blue from lack of oxygen. "Bells," I barely whispered as I dropped her body to the ground, and it fell without ceremony, like a rag doll. "Bella," I said again more panicked. It was only then that it sunk in, what I had done. I took one last look at her and ran for the forest, allowing the wolf, the most despised part of myself, to take over. A way to escape the pain of my actions.

Because one day you can wake up to find that you're a monster. And on that day, it is no honeymoon.


	4. Sixth Sense EmmettRosalie Rating T

Title: Sixth Sense  
>Author: ondragonflywing<br>Rating: T (just to be safe)  
>Verse: Twilight<br>Claim: General  
>Characters: EmmettRosalie  
>Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.<br>Summary: Emmett refelcts on the main ways he can tell that ROsalie is upset.

Emmett always knew when something was wrong with his Rosalie. He knew the signs to look for, the things she did to over compensate, the signals she would send and the things that she didn't even know she did. He could always sense it, in every way possible.

When Rosalie wasn't happy, sometimes he could see it, she would frown, like she had when she had first realized that he was interested in her as more than a friend. She felt it too, of that he was sure, but she'd been worried and afraid. After all, her memories of men, didn't exactly paint the species in a forgiving light. It took many soft smiles, whispered assurances, gentle touches, and most importantly time and patience, for Emmett to prove his feelings were true and not volatile. And it had been worth every destroyed house.

She didn't know it, really, but she got distracted when she was sad about things, like the los of her family, or her ability to have one. She fell back on human habits. Sometimes she would bathe, since it once brought her such peace. Sometimes she would spray on perfume. He knew now the scent of sadness and remorse. And he hated smelling it on his Rosalie. Usually though, his antics brought her around.

Sometimes he could hear her discontent. When she was angry or frustrated, her voice rose ever so slightly, usually not enough for anyone to notice unless she was extremely angry or frustrated. This ahd happened when Bella had joined Edward's life. And when she was sad, it would crack with tears that she couldn't cry. During these times he would simply hold her, hug her, or give her a chaste kiss, meant for nothing other than comfort.

When she worried, like she did over their family's safety from the newborn vampires, he could literally reach out and touch it. And he always did, gently stroking away the creases in her forehead until it's beauty was no longer marred.

And on rare occasions, when he was the reason she was so upset, like when he said something stupid, without realizing it, he could taste it, like acid, when she said harsh words meant to slice him to his very core. He hated that taste. He spit it on the ground. Sometimes it even drove him to drink water. But it always led him to apologize. He hated the flavor, he wanted it gone as soon as possible. And he wanted it to turn to something else, that he could fix.

But what he hated the most was when she was so hurt that she wanted to hide it from him. Like now. They were waiting to go to the airport to pick up a pregnant Bella. And though her smile was in place, her voice was perfectly on pitch, she smelled simply sweet like Rosalie always did, her forehead was not covered in worry lines, and her words weren't slicing at him. He still knew. He could sense that everything about her was being faked. He hated it most because he knew that this he could not fix. All he could do was hold her hand, in silence.


	5. Beauty or Beast? PaulRachel Rating T

Title: Beauty or Beast

Author: ondragonflywing

Verse: Twilight

Claim: General

Characters: Paul/Rachel, The Pack

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Warnings: Minor Spoilers for Eclipse (about imprinting). And for Breaking Dawn (about Paul's imprint). Language.

Summary: When a wolf insists that his imprint would love him no matter what, he is challenged to prove it.

Prompt/Table: Inspired By Fairy Tales-Beauty and the Beast 

Paul couldn't help the goofy broad grin that spread across his face as Rachel talked to him about work. It was mostly a bunch of stuff he didn't understand, having to do with chemistry and chemicals. But he didn't mind, he'd listen gladly to her talk about anything. She was the most important person to him, and that would never change. She was his imprint. He could only hope that she felt a fraction of what he did in their relationship.

He watched everything about her as she raised her arm from the table, tilting it slightly towards her body. And her eyes broke from his, glancing down at an angle, to see her watch. She sighed, like she was upset about something and his hand instinctively moved to hers, squeezing it, giving her what comfort he could. Her eyes flashed back to his face and she smiled broadly, flipping her hand over to hold mine. Then she leaned across the table and kissed him. "I have to go. Lunch break's over."

Paul knew his smile fell at the idea of her parting ways from him, even if for a little while because she laughed. "You're such a baby. I'll be off in a few more hours." He nodded mutely before kissing her again.

"See you then." He rose to his feet as she exited the café, and he again watched every move her body made as she left.

Things with Rachel had been tenuous at best so far, but he was trying his best to be the man that she deserved, instead of the selfish child that he was, at still seventeen. Which had been another problem for her. He was only months away from eighteen, but she still felt awkward dating a seventeen year old high school student at her present age of twenty-three. And she was a little bit more than shocked that Billy was okay with the arrangement. It was the only thing Paul had going in his favor. That and the fact that she couldn't stay away no matter how hard she tried.

She didn't yet know about the imprint. Or the fact that Paul was a wolf. He was too scared to tell her. If she had so many doubts now, he didn't feel that this new information would clear any of those up. In fact it would probably just cement for her how wrong this all was. Or scare her. Or both.

Paul had been so caught up in paying attention to Rachel that he didn't notice the stranger that had sat down at the table next to his.

"You two make a cute couple," came the withered voice from the neighboring table.

Paul's eyes cut up to take in the form of an elderly woman, probably in her sixties, her hair gray and pulled back into a bun. Her face wrinkled. What he figured were probably once bright blue eyes, now a dull blue-grey. He saw no harm in the woman so he grinned at her and said, "Thanks." He could dispute how perfect they were for each other. They were magically destined to be together.

"She seems older than you," the elderly woman continued.

Paul growled, deep in his chest, "She is. But we love each other…"

The old woman's eyes seemed to glaze over as if she were remembering something. "Sometimes love isn't enough." Her eyes seemed to mist as she said it, "Sometimes nothing is enough in the face of such challenges. Sometimes you show your true self and love can't save you." If Paul didn't know better he'd say there was a glint in the old woman's eyes like she knew more than she spoke of.

He shook his head, gripping the table tightly as his body began to tremble. This old woman didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Love would always be enough for him and Rachel. "Mind your own business," he bit out at the woman, his words growled, "Rachel would always love me, no matter what."

And then the old woman smiled. "You think so?" she asked, her eyebrow rose. And then with a whoosh, like all the air was being knocked from his lungs, he found himself outside, standing across from a woman who was not the same old woman from the diner. The woman who stood in front of him now was young and vibrant. And there would have been a time when he would have found her to be gorgeous. But those days were gone. He had Rachel now. He breathed in deeply. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. This wasn't right. How could this happen.

"Magic," the woman answered the thought in his head. She smirked slightly as his disbelieving expression, "You can be a werewolf. But magic can't exist?" She made a valid point. Paul had to accept it. He had been magically transported to the middle of the forest. But why?

"Because you don't trust Rachel," the woman spoke. His hands shook with fury. "Don't do that. Not yet." She gestured to the phase that was beginning. And then it felt to Paul like someone else was in control of his body. His trembling ceased and he was helpless to do anything but listen. "You don't trust that you're good enough."

"Rachel loves me," Paul said again, forcing the words out through bared teeth. And then it happened, completely against his will, without the trembling. He began to phase, become a wolf.

"We'll see who loves who," the woman said, her tone cold.

All he could think to keep him from killing this woman was that no matter what Rachel loved him. Nothing could change that. And as soon as Paul was a wolf, he tried to phase back. To be human again.

"You can't do that," her voice said, sounding louder to my wolf ears, "You can't become human again until you know Rachel loves you. Accepts you. As you are. Every part of you."

He was stuck a wolf until Rachel accepted him! But how would she ever even know that it was him? Fuck!

The woman laughed softly. "I took care of arranging a meeting," she said softly, before she disappeared. Just like that. Poof. Gone. How could he even trust that she was coming back for him?

Before he could ponder on it too long, he heard footsteps against the soft forest floor, coming his way. And then he heard her voice.

"Paul!" she called. She held her cell phone tighter. Rachel was almost ready to call him and demand to know where he was. This wasn't very funny. Some wild goose chase into the forest. At first she had thought that maybe he had something romantic planned when she received the text message to meet him at the meadow near their spot. But now she was just frustrated. Where was he hiding? "Paul!" she called out again, her tone taking on an irritated edge.

"Where the hell are you?" She stopped short when she heard a wolf howl from the distance. She wanted to walk in the opposite direction, but pressed forward, towards the meadow. What if Paul was hurt? What if the wolf had gotten to him? It didn't make any sense to be so worried about him when she was in just as much trouble, but she couldn't help it.

She was hoping that Paul would step out of the brush and wrap her in his arms, telling her what he had had in mind, but that they should go because of the wolf. He would hold her close, giving her the comfort she needed to keep her hands from shaking, and they would leave the woods, and the wolf, and go somewhere else together. He would protect her, keep her safe. Instead she found herself moving forward, pressing deeper into the woods.

She came through the clearing, to not find Paul, but to be closer than she cared to ever be to a wolf. A giant wolf. A wolf bigger than a bear. Her eyes grew wide as the wolf moved closer to her. She was frozen to the spot. And then the wolf showed all of his teeth. And her senses kicked back in. Rachel gave out a loud scream. Not taking time to notice that the wolf whimpered in response. And she didn't notice how it's tail came to rest between it's legs as she spun on her foot and ran. Ran away from the thing.

She did however hear it growl as it gave chase.

Paul had been surprised when Rachel had stood frozen in the clearing. He had hoped against hope that she had recognized something in him. Had known it was him. Had not been afraid. He began to move closer, hoping to get close enough to touch her, feeling the pull of the imprint. And when she still didn't run, he had given her a toothy grin, sure she had figured it out. Or had simply felt something inside that had mad her feel like she could trust the beast that he was. And it was then that she screamed. And he realized his error. She had been too scared to move before. Paul gave a whimper and lowered his ears, his tail moving between his legs. He hoped the gesture would entreat her to pause. But it didn't have the desired effect. Instead she spun on her heel and began to run away from him.

Damn it! He cursed to himself. He had scared her away. And she apparently couldn't see him inside this monster. Not that she had taken the time to look. Typical Rachel. Over react now, ask questions later. If she just looked at him. Really looked. Looked into his eyes. He just knew that she would see it. She would see him in his eyes, his soul resting inside this monstrous body. And then she would begin to trust. She would begin to see. She would accept. If she'd only look.

He growled in frustration as he ran after her, his barks ringing through the air and his teeth gnashing, as he demanded her attention.

Rachel glanced over her shoulder as she ran, seeing the wolf still there. It was gaining on her. And that caused her to panic, her breath to come erratically. If she could just find the edge of the forest, she would be safe. She would be almost home. And once inside, the monster couldn't get to her. "Leave me alone," she pleaded, even though she knew it would do no good, she was after all, talking to an animal. A beast. She felt tears in her eyes. What if this was it? What if this was how she died?

She burst through the forest, into her back yard and as she turned around, she realized that the wolf was no longer following, almost as if maybe it had listened. She continued to run anyway, not wanting to take her chances. As soon as she was safely inside, she couldn't help but laugh hysterically at the idea that she had thought for even a minute that a wolf had listened to her.

"Woah, Rach, what happened?" she heard her brother say. She stepped away from the door to look in the hall mirror. Not only had she sounded like a heard of cattle when she ran through the doorway, she looked a mess. Tears were streaking down her face, which had some cuts from stray branches in the forest. And her hair was a mess.

"Did Paul do something stupid again?" he continued before she had a chance to speak.

She shook her head, as she tried to catch her breath. Then she nodded her head. Then she shrugged her shoulders. Her brother just looked confused. "He asked me to meet him near our spot," she began to explain, her sentences short as she still tried to catch her breath, "And I went. But there was something in the woods. An animal. It chased me. I ran home." Then my eyes widened, "Oh God, what if it got Paul? What if he's still out there? What if he's not okay?" The very idea felt like a weight on her chest, like something was crushing her. She began to panic. As much as she denied it, she loved Paul. She didn't want something to happen to him. She wasn't eve sure if she could live with it. What would she do if Paul was dead in the forest? She fell back against the wall, sliding down it.

Jacob was at his sister's side in an instant. He was trying to make this make sense. "I'm sure he's fine, Rach. Paul knows how to take care of himself." He tried to comfort. There hadn't been animal sightings, since all the wolves had come around. Basically there wasn't anymore because we'd gotten better at hiding ourselves, and more than that, we stayed deeper in the woods than most people would dare go. But maybe it really was just an animal. It wouldn't be unheard of. Or maybe this was boy genius's way of sharing his secret with his sister. "Shit," he muttered under his breath and stood up as his sister continued to be distraught over the fact that she had left Paul behind.

"What? You don't think he's in trouble do you?" she demanded, her face crumpling at the thought.

Jacob shook his head. If he was right about his assumption, Paul would be at Sam's by now, getting a lecture from Emily about scaring Rachel and reliving how horribly it had all gone. "I'm gonna go talk to Sam about this. Maybe we'll get some people together to go into the woods and take care of this animal." He added for her comfort, "Check on Paul." His sister nodded at him as he stepped out of the house.

"Paul, you are so dead," Jake muttered as he ran for the tree line, bursting into a wolf as soon as it was safe, and running to Sam's house. He turned back into a man and pulled his shorts on, in the fringe of the woods near the Uley house. He began to walk through the back yard.

"Hey Jake," Emily said with a wave, "Want some muffins? I just finished making them for Sam and the others."

Jacob smiled at Emily. She never seemed to mind that all of his took over her house on a regular basis. Nor that she had to feed his. And I guess her mothering nature was kind of perfect, since she was paired with our alpha, kind of like our father. He was however a little surprised that the house seemed so quiet. He figured someone would be mad at how Paul handled things with Rachel. He accepted a muffin and then said, "Just looking for Paul."

Emily raised an eyebrow at him, "Why?"

So he hadn't come here yet. Maybe that meant it wasn't him. Maybe it meant there really was an animal out there. Maybe Paul really was in trouble. "Thought he was trying to play a kind of cruel joke on my sister. But if he's not here. And she saw what she saw. I need to talk to Sam." Emily nodded and gestured towards the living room, and he headed in that direction to have a chat with his alpha.

Paul had stopped in his tracks when he heard Rachel's tearful plea for the monster behind her, chasing her to leave her alone. He could never deny her anything she wanted. Especially if she wanted it as desperately as she had seemed to want the chase to be over. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't personal. She was running from a monstrous wolf. Not from him. Not from Paul. But it didn't really work. He still felt rejected. Rejected by his true love. And it cut deeply. It left him whimpering and howling in pure pain at the darkening sky. He couldn't even stop his howling if he wanted to. His heart was breaking to pieces. If only she could look at him while he was like this. But she couldn't. She couldn't even bring herself to do that. To see that he was the one inside. He couldn't stand the thought that she couldn't stand to look at him in this form. This form instilled such fear in her that she couldn't even pause for a moment. All she could do is scream and run.

He howled at the sky again.

He repulsed her.

He didn't even know what to do. How could he get her to accept. She couldn't look at him. She was afraid of him. How would he ever get near enough to show that he was safe. That he was okay.

It was impossible. He'd never be human again. He'd spend forever as a wolf. And without her.

He howled again.

And then he went the only place that he could think of. To consult the only person that he thougt might have any suggestions, any answers. To Sam's.

Paul ran as fast as he had ever run. He saw Sam as his hero, his complete salvation. He would fix things. He made it to the Uley's in no time and howled his arrival. He could hear them inside, talking about his safety from the animal in the woods. He let out a throaty laugh. He was the animal in the woods that Rachel had seen. He howled again, hoping to get their attention, going stir crazy back here.

The conversation seemed to stop as Sam rose to his feet, heading to the backyard. I recognized Jacob's footsteps behind him. And my best friend Jared behind him. I howled again impatiently, entreating them to join me, first in the back yard ad then in wolf form so we could talk.

"Paul," Sam spoke first as they made it to the back porch. I rolled my eyes. Who else would it be? Do we know of any other werewolves that look like me, running around these parts.

"You did it," jake said accusatorily.

"Did what?" Jared asked calmly, always the perfection of calm, against anything, unless Kim was in trouble. Probably why he was Sam's second.

"Thought it would be funny to change and invite my sister to where you were and scare the daylights out of her without any explanation." He was angry. Paul could tell eh was close to turning and starting a fight with him. Paul didn't need a fight. He need help. For the first time ever, he was willing to back down, and not let the wolf win. He pinned his ears to his head and lay down on his side, showing complete submission, stealing the fun of a fight from Jacob.

At this, Sam reached out to Jacob. His alpha timbre coming out as he said, "Let him change back and explain."

Paul rose back to his feet and tried to phase back, tried to be human again, knowing it wouldn't work. And it didn't. He shook his huge wolf head at the growing crowd on the porch.

"Phase now," Sam said in his alpha timbre.

Paul felt the weight of a command. And this time he felt the change being forced and stopped over and over again. It was a ripping and tearing sensation. It was absolute agony. He let out an anguished cry as he coward away from Sam, pressing himself against the ground, making himself as small as he possibly could, praying for Sam's relent.

Sam realized then and there that something wasn't right. "Jared, Jacob," he said, "Phase with me." He wanted to see what was going on, why Paul wasn't cooperating. How it was he was able to ignore a direct command.

Sam, Jared and Jacob moved into the middle of the yard, phasing with Sam, all of Jacob's anger now replaced by worry for Paul. He wasn't at all acting like himself. And he was doing things that were impossible. Turning down a fight, defying a command.

Paul sighed, feeling the pain fade as Sam's order was rescinded. He looked up at the men becoming wolves before his eyes, his eyes begging them for help, for salvation.

_Paul, what happened? _Jared practically screamed into Paul's head, wanting to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. But all they were greeted with was silence. And Paul staring at them in askance, almost like he was entreating them to speak. He couldn't hear their thoughts. He couldn't hear anything, but what was already dancing through his head.

And then he saw them turn human again and he couldn't stop the growl that slipped through his teeth. If he were human he would have demanded an answer with "What the fuck?"

"We can't hear you," Sam informed him as they were done getting dressed. Now he seemed more worried than before. "We'll have to talk to the elders in the morning. There's nothing we can do tonight. Go keep an eye on your sister. Make sure she doesn't see anymore wolves…" he said to Jacob with a look at Paul.

He sighed inwardly to himself. Until they got answers he'd have to stay away from Rachel. Absolute torture. Not that he was even sure if he should be near Rachel anymore anyway, if she felt that way about his wolf form.

Weeks passed and there were still no answers. The council still had no ideas. They'd never heard of a wolf, that knew how to control their phases, unable to phase. They had never heard of an alpha's command being ignored. They had never heard of the pack not being able to hear a pack member's thoughts. They were blind in this.

Paul wasn't. Paul knew that it was magic. Paul knew what needed to be done to end it. Paul knew that it was impossible. Paul knew what the others didn't. That the spell would never end. That he'd have to hide in the woods away from Rachel forever. He'd have to watch her grow and live her life with another lover, another family. He was stuck. There was nothing he could do. She couldn't accept him. And he couldn't change.

And that made him howl in pain almost constantly. Jacob had yelled at him more than once for doing it near his house. Paul knew he could never have Rachel again, but he couldn't stay away. He couldn't keep his distance. The more time that passed, the more he wanted to feel her skin against his. Jacob told him regularly that Rachel was still afraid of the animal she had encountered in the woods. And that she was inconsolable because she had incorrectly put two and two together, with the animal's presence and Paul's sudden disappearance. It gave Paul some hope when Jacob told him that. She still loved Paul. Now Paul just had to come up with a way to get her to see him in the beast. And he had to hope that she could love all of him.

Rachel looked out the window for the millionth time, just praying that Paul would walk out f the damned forest and into her backyard, bruised and battered, but alive. That he'd have a story to tell about scars left behind by the animal, but that he'd be home, safe, and alive. She closed her eyes. "Please, please, please," she pleaded in a whisper, "Be there. Just be there." When she opened her eyes however all she saw was the monster. She yelped. It was like it was mocking her. It gave her what looked like a lopsided smile. It was openly mocking her. An animal that had killed the only man she was sure she would ever love was standing in her back yard, openly mocking her.

She shook her head. The loss of Paul was getting to her. She was going crazy. She thought animals that operated on the simplest of principles and basest of instincts were mocking her. She felt tears escape her eyes before she looked back out the window at the creature that had killed Paul. She hated it. She hated it with everything she had. She hated it more that she felt any single emotion for anyone or anything else. This stupid, smiling, mocking animal had made her world fall apart. Had crushed her spirit. She looked back out at it, still standing peacefully in her yard, like it owned the place. She pounded on the window. "Get the hell out of here," she yelled at it.

When it proceeded to simply sit on its haunches and stare at her, she groaned frustrated. She wanted it gone. She wanted it to leave. She wanted t gone. She never wanted to see the silver grey beast again. She just wanted it to leave her alone. She wanted to kill it. Fueled by her grief and her anger, she charged to the door, having no further plan than to confront the monstrosity.

She found herself in her back yard, yelling at it. "Just go away," she yelled, swinging a wooden board she'd found near Jacob's garage at it. "Leave me alone. Leave us alone," she yelled at the beast that she was sure had eaten Paul. The wooden board connected with its head and it let out a pained whimper. She couldn't stop the crazy smile that spread over her lips. She laughed at its reaction to the pain. "Did that hurt?" she demanded, connecting with it again. She hoped so. She hoped it hurt a lot. "Not as much as you hurt me," she screamed at the wolf.

Paul whimpered when the board connected with his head. Did it hurt? Hell, yeah, crazy bitch. Stop hitting me. And look. Just one look at my eyes. You'll know. But she wouldn't. And he wasn't sure why. He wasn't sure what was fueling her fury. But he knew he had to stay and take whatever she would ole out. He had to wait her out. If he could manage to be what she needed him to be, even in this state, if he was patient enough. She'd see things his way. He was sure of it.

She spoke again and that was when he understood all her anguish and anger. She was hurting the wolf for killing him. Not realizing they were one in the same. He simply laid down in the grass and let her hit him. Proud in that moment of the fire in her. And touched by how deeply she felt his "loss."

She dropped the board then and cried. "Why'd you have to take him? Maybe things weren't perfect…but I loved him…" She was baring her soul to him and he was unable to hold her and share his feelings back. He whimpered again and inched closer to her shaking form. She didn't notice his approach, so he was able tog et what he'd craved for weeks. Her touch. He brushed his cheek against hers and then nuzzled her neck in comfort, trying to wrap his furry body around her in comfort.

That's when she noticed what was happening. She straightened up. She went stiff. It was as if she thought she was in trouble. And then all the fight left her body.

Rachel was in the beasts clutches and she couldn't even take the time to care. She realized he was advancing too late. And while at first the contact had provided much needed comfort, she realized now, too late, the danger that was present. This wasn't a cuddly dog. This thing would kill her. Just like it had Paul. She stiffened as the thought sunk in. And then her body went limp. Paul was dead. How bad could dying too be?

"Do your worst," she muttered to the beast, looking into its face for the fist time. Something about it was familiar. Not that she could understand that feeling. It was then that she was licked on the neck. Licked. Not bitten. "Gross," she muttered. "Is that really all you got?" she questioned the animal.

It seemed to smile again. And then she knew she really was loosing it, as she could have sworn that she saw its head move up and down in a nod. She shook her head in astonishment, as she continued to look at the animal. It almost seemed to laugh as it let out a throaty bark at her disbelief. How was she holding conversation with an animal? She looked at it again. She looked into its familiar face. She looked into its eyes and was stunned by what she found there. It looked so familiar. They looked just like Paul's eyes when they would shine with amusement at something he couldn't believe she'd done. She slowly raised her hand, as if she didn't have control over it any longer. And she slowly inched it closer to him. "You look like him you know," she told the giant wolf as she reached closer. The wolf seemed to lean towards her. The way Paul always did when she moved to put her hand on his cheek before a kiss. She jerked her hand back little and look into the eyes to see hurt there. She closed her eyes and laughed at herself. Was she that desperate for Paul that she could find him in the face of the wolf that had killed him? She knew the answer was yes. And if she was going to be lunch anyway, why not die, pretending you were with your lover that you saw in your killer's eyes. She again allowed her hand to move towards his cheek very slowly, never breaking contact with his eyes. Her hand touched his surprisingly soft fur and she closed her eyes for a moment, pretending it was his hair as she leaned in and placed a kiss on the brute's nose. "I love you," she whispered, her eyes still closed as she waited for the death blow.

Those were the words that broke the spell and slowly Paul began to turn into a human again. He watched Rachel poised in wait for something horrible and painful that would never come. Not from his hands anyway. Even if he was a wolf. When he was fully human, he nuzzled her hand with his cheek and whispered, "Rachel…" He just wanted her to open her eyes. To see. And he had a lot of explaining to do. "I love you too."

Rachel's eyes sprung open as she heard Paul's voice and saw the naked form of her boyfriend in front of her. "Paul?" she questioned, all of her unvoiced questions shining in her eyes as she blushed slightly at his unclothed state.

"I have something I need to tell you," came Paul's reply. And he kissed her one more time before beginning to explain.


End file.
